Overnight Plans
by Dixie Dewdrop
Summary: A stranger appears as four year old Tony prepares to spend the night with the Mallards.  This is part of my Fate series.
1. Tony Entertains the Visitor

Tony Entertains the Visitor

Gibbs, in the basement searching for his ball peen hammer, heard the doorbell ring upstairs and within a couple of seconds, little feet running towards the front door. He started up the stairs at a fast trot, calling out, "Tony! Do not open that door without an adult!" The unmistakeable sound of a chair being pushed across the floor was the response, but as the bell rang again he made it up the final stairs, through the kitchen, and into the hall. Tony had managed to drag his chair from the kitchen, topped it with his Cookie Monster booster seat, pushed it to the front of the door, and was in the process of climbing up to look through the peephole.

Jethro marvelled for a moment. For such a small child, Tony was incredibly strong. Actually, it was probably that Tony was more determined than strong. Tony grinned when he saw his father and announced, "It's a lady, Daddy, a red haired lady with a tiny pocketbook." Jethro laughed and swung Tony off the chair like an airplane. He put him down and moved the chair enough to get the front door open. Startled, he recognized Jennifer Shepard standing on the stoop.

"Jen!" he spoke, surprise in his voice. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Paris."

"I got home a couple of days ago. May I come in?"

Jethro stepped aside and motioned her into the foyer. "Come on, let's go to the living room." Tony eyed the outsider appraisingly and then trotted behind his father. When Jethro had shown the guest a chair and had seated himself, Tony climbed up in his father's lap and rested his face against his father's chest, so that he could watch the intruder from a safe perch. Jethro pointed in Jen's direction and gave Tony an explanation. When he was in Paris last year working for NCIS, he had been working with Ms. Shepard. He came home, but she stayed. Now, of course, she was obviously back.

Tony looked at her, decided she was acceptable, and started climbing off his father's lap. "I'm Tony, and I'm four. I'm going to spend the night with Ducky and Mrs. Mallard tonight, and I have a suitcase. Do you want to see it?" Jen nodded and responded that she would love to see it and Tony started out of the room, adding, "My daddy likes red haired ladies."

Jethro was too stunned to think up a quick cover up, but Jen laughed and they started catching up. She was just back for a visit- her dad lived in Georgetown, and she would return to Paris in the not too distant future.

Tony returned, dragging his rolling Big Bird suitcase. "Abuela packed it 'cause I'm going to be gone all night and Daddy is going to miss me." He turned a megawatt smile towards his father and Jethro nodded in agreement. "He is going to have to go to NCIS tomorrow and work. I have..." Tony put his tongue against his teeth as he unzipped and started taking out items.

"Stop, don't unpack it. Abuela has it all ready for it to go with you," his father ordered.

"Daddy, I don't see my William Wallace hat! Where is it?"

Relenting, Jethro sighed and slid down to sit by Tony on the floor. Taking out the neat stacks of pajamas and clothing, Tony looked even more worried. "Daddy, I don't see my new shirt for Mass either!"

Automatically Jethro corrected, "Church, Tony- tomorrow you're going to Church. When you go with Abuela you go to Mass."

Jen was smitten with the adorable child, and leaned down. "What is a William Wallace hat, Tony?"

"That's my hat so I can be the Scot patriot William Wallace who fought against that English tyrant, King Edward. I'm gonna be the King of the Outlaws, the ruler for the good people. I will march with the Corgi dog warriors." Demonstrating, he began marching across the floor.

Jethro clarified, "He's picked up quite a bit from Ducky and his mother. You know what a historian Ducky is, and our Dr. Mallard obviously came by it quite honestly. Tony likes playing with their corgis, too."

"Daddy, what about my things?" Tony pulled at Jethro's arm to remind him that there was a crisis.

"If Maria didn't put them in there you don't need them. We are going to put this all back in your case, and then you can go play before Ducky comes to get you."

Jen ventured, "What about toiletries? I don't see any."

"No, he has toys and shampoo and toothbrushes and everything you can imagine at the Mallards. He's even got a booster car seat and a bike there," Jethro explained.

"Daddy, I want my..."

"No, I said we are putting this back up. You take what's here." Tony's lip crept to a pout and he gave his dad a hurt look. Jethro repacked and rezipped and sent Tony and the suitcase out of the living room, telling him to move his chair back into the kitchen.


	2. Jethro Entertains the Visitor

Jethro Entertains the Visitor

Gibbs looked at Jenny closely as their conversation resumed in the living room. They had enjoyed a no- strings- attached relationship when both were in Paris, and had found that their compatibility was uncanny. They played off of each other, and made a good working team. As a couple, they were also pretty good together. He had missed her. Looking at her now, Gibbs realized that the attraction was still there, and if he were reading Jen correctly, she felt the same way.

Tony came racing back into the living room, holding the cordless phone against his ear and talking rapidly in the earpiece.

"I didn't hear the phone ring," Jen remarked, puzzled.

"Hmmm... I didn't either. Tony must have climbed on the counter and gotten it. He knows how to call, though he certainly didn't ask permission to make this one."

Tony was begging on his end, "Abuela, please, I promise I won't get it dirty or tear it. No voy a entrar sucio. I don't like the other one as much. Don't you want me to look handsome?"

Jen shook her head in amazement as Jethro started laughing. "I can guess this argument. He wants to wear his new clothes, which he just got yesterday, because my son is a connoisseur of good fashion and pays particular attention to the way he looks when he goes out. She, on the other hand, wants the outfit saved. So..."

Tony interrupted before he could finish, pushing the phone at his father. "Abuela wants to talk to you, and I have to go upstairs 'cause she told me to look in my toybox for my Willam Wallace hat."

Jethro took the phone and caught him by his waistband. Looking sternly at his little boy he reminded, "Are you supposed to get on the phone without permission?" Tony shook his head and appeared chastened and Jethro released him. He raced off full tilt.

Jen sat back in her chair and listened to Jethro's end of the talk with Abuela. "Ok, you mean to let him take the long sleeved striped one he just got? I can find it, but is he supposed to go with the pants you already packed? Which khaki ones? What about shoes? Ok, I got it." He nodded and paced a bit as he talked.

Tony raced back in the room, clutching his prized hat. "Let me talk to Abuela again, Daddy!" Jethro handed him the phone, then left the room to get the substitute shirt. "I found it, Abuela. Yes, I know not to play in my new clothes. I know to change to play clothes. Uh huh, yes ma'am, yes, I know not to be bad at mass- I mean church. Yes, I know the good manners please and thank you. I love you, too- te amo. Bye."

Tony hung up, dropped the phone on the sofa, and proceeded to hold one leg so that he could hop around the living room. Jethro returned with the prized shirt and held it out to Tony, who reached greedily for it.

"Wait a minute," Jenny intervened, taking the shirt. "Let me fold it right or it will be wrinkled and you won't be able to wear it." Tony nodded in agreement, and when she got up to put the shirt in his case, he took her hand and smiled angelically.

Looking at her carefully he asked, "Why is your clavicle so tiny? Did some of your bones not grow up?"

Jethro called out, "Tony, she's a small lady. We call that petite. That's as big as she's going to get."

Jenny nodded seriously, trying not to laugh at Tony's concern. Tony smiled again and said sympathetically, "I'm sorry you won't get to be a big girl. I'm going to be a really big boy."

The doorbell rang for the second time that day and Tony flew towards it with Jethro calling, "Don't open that door!"

When they finally opened it, together, Ducky was there, ready to collect his young guest. He was surprised to see Jenny, as well, glanced at both agents, and correctly guessed that the two needed some time alone to catch up.

Taking Tony's bag he ordered, "Come, young Anthony. It's almost tea time, and Mother made bangers since you like them so much."

Tony ran to his father, who swung him up and kissed him, then released him.

Politely, Tony held his hand out to Jenny to shake and said, "It was a pleasure to meet you." Jenny beamed in return and Tony raced to Ducky, grabbing his other hand.

Jethro and Jen both walked to the front stoop to see them off.

"On to the Morgan steed, Ducky knight!" Tony sang out, pointing at Ducky's vintage Morgan parked in the driveway. Then changing his tone he asked, "Are we going to watch _Braveheart_ again?"

Hearing the question Jehtro shook his head slowly in disbelief and called out, "What is that rated, Ducky? You know he's only supposed to watch G movies!"

Ducky turned and winked, "The lad falls asleep before we get to the PG and R parts." Smirking, he buckled Tony in the car seat and then drove off laughing.

Jenny stepped back into the foyer and Jethro followed, leaving the front door wide open. She felt like she'd just witnessed a tornado. "Wow- he's an energetic little fellow, isn't he? And bright- he's very intelligent, Jethro. You know that, though, and that the girls are going to swarm him- he's just gorgeous."

Jethro laughed, and Jenny spoke softly, "So, did you have any overnight plans, yourself?"

Leaning behind her, Jethro slammed the front door shut, reached down to cup her face in his hands, and answered, "I just made some, with you."


End file.
